Getting Back Home
by PrincessVictory
Summary: Nearly six months after Chris left his friends on their home planet, Tails is still desperate to find a way to see the Thorndykes once again. Though his invention works, Sonic doesn't quite end up where he's expected. AAML and Sonamy. R&R you guys if you would!:D HIATUS
1. Tails's Invention

A/N Heyyy guys it's my second fanfic! I do not own Sonic or Pokemon, and the whole Midori region and Professor Rosethorn were created by my friend Wolfie! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Tails's Invention

"Hey, Sonic! Come look! I have something to show you!" My buddy Tails screams as he flies toward me, waving another one of his gadgets in the air.

_What's up this time? _I wonder as I speed over to the orange two-tailed fox. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but this kid's a real genius. "Hey Tails, what's up?" I ask, still staring down at the strange looking device in his left hand.

"You won't believe it, but I think I've found a way for us to see Chris again!" Tails exclaims, jumping up and down like the little kid he is.

"But how…? I thought we'd freeze time if we went back over there," I answer, reminding him of the last time Chaos Control took us to Chris's planet. It was a complete disaster, and we later figured out that our planet would try to merge with theirs if we didn't come back in time. Lucky for us, Tails knows what he's doing. I just hope it doesn't take a turn for the worst, like it occasionally does.

"Well, we won't this time! I'm sure of it!" he replies, handing me the gadget that I haven't been able to take my eyes off of. It's small, and looks like it attaches to something, er, someone, anyway.

"Uh, I trust you, Tails, but what exactly _is_ this thing?" I wonder, rolling the round object around in my hands and watching it curiously.

"Here!" he replies, placing the contraption into my ear. He then unfurls a long wire with a small microphone attached for me to speak through.

"Wha—"

"Now come on! I'll show you!" He grabs me by the arm and starts to drag me to his workshop, the place where all his inventions end up eventually. I reluctantly follow his lead, just hoping that this time won't be the same as all the others. He's constantly trying to find some way other than feeding off the Chaos Emeralds' energies, but so far, none of them have worked.

He just wants to see the Thorndykes again. Like we all do. Ever since Chris left us nearly half a year ago, all Tails has done is devote his research to seeing them all. Cream the rabbit has been helping him with everything, and so far I'm the little "Lab Rat" for all his inventions. Majority of them have either malfunctioned before I could step through, or just never worked in the first place though, so I'm not too thrilled about this one.

_Guess we'll just have to wait and see,_ I find myself thinking as I step into the garage known to us as Tails's Workshop. It's pretty big, with the Tornado models resting neatly side by side in the front. Behind them, I notice another teleporter, similar to the one he and Uncle Chuck built to bring us back home. Blueprints and sketches are scattered all around the area, with Cream and Cheese, her Chao, gathering them all up one by one for the test run. He normally isn't so messy, but I bet the stress is starting to get to him.

Poor Tails. He used to be so carefree, so jumpy and full of life, like the way he was acting just a few minutes ago, but lately he's been so stuck on going back to Earth, on seeing the Thorndykes once again, that it's nearly eclipsed everything else in his life. Ever since Cosmo—anyway, I walk over to the portal, wondering how he managed to do it this time.

As if answering my unspoken question, Tails says, "Well, I figured instead of harnessing all seven emeralds, what if I tried using just one? That one emerald alone has more than enough power for one person to go through at a time. Over here, anyway. Plus, I combined a few other things to see if that would help."

"Well, how does it work?" I ask, prepared to fire it up and get this over with. If it doesn't work this time, I figure I'll have to convince Tails to give it up. He can't keep wasting the rest of his life like this, especially when he's still just a kid! But try telling _him_ that and see if he doesn't smack you silly with one of his tails.

"Here, I'll show you," he answers, walking over to his supercomputer. He presses about five different switches, causing the teleporter to start glowing. A rainbow of colors flashes inside it, showing that it's completely ready to use. "Now, if I've set the coordinates properly, you should end up in Station Square."

_If. _He said if. He _never_ says if. Why is he so unsure of himself this time?

"Go on, Sonic, try it out. What's the worst that could happen?" _Does he really have to ask that?_ I walk over to it, starting to step into it.

"Are you sure, Tails?"

"Sure, I'm sure! Don't doubt me like that, please. It really bugs me, and you know that," he says, putting on a headset of his own.

"Okay then, whatever," I mumble as I leap headfirst into the portal, unafraid of what may or may not happen.

After floating through what seems like a type of wormhole for a few minutes, I hear Tails through the receiver. "Sonic? Sonic? Are you there? Do you read me?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Apparently Tails can't hear me and begins going frantic, and I think I hear Amy walking in, asking what's going on. "Tails! I'm right here!Why won't this thing work?" I ask, banging on the microphone in a desperate attempt to fix it.

"Sonic Hedgehog! Do you hear me? You promised not to leave me again! If you don't answer right this second I'm coming in after you!"

"No, Amy, don't! Why can't you hear me?"

"Fine, you leave me no choice!"

"Amy, don't!" I hear Tails scream.

"Yeah, Amy, it isn't very safe," Cream says, siding with Tails.

"But I have to! I'm not just going to leave him out there when he needs my help!" And before I can hear anymore, or say anything for that matter, the line goes dead. Somehow, I know I've lost them for good, whether or not I manage to fix this thing. I suddenly feel a jerk to the left, and I realize another portal has appeared, trying to drag me inside it.

Thinking it's the portal for Station Square, I don't fight back. It pulls me all the way through, but before I can even take a moment to look around, I feel something hit me on the head, and I black out almost instantly.


	2. What's a Pokémon?

Chapter 2: What's a Pokémon?

I slowly open my eyes, realizing that I had been knocked unconscious. But _what_ did it, I'm still not sure. I notice the headset has disappeared. I look around, slightly confused about where I ended up. _This is definitely not Station Square,_ I think, staring out at the open clearing before me. _It looks almost…just like home._

The breeze smells slightly sweet, like the many wildflowers that dot the wide landscape. Evergreens surround the clearing, along with bushes. Bushes full of berries! I walk over there, realizing all at once how hungry I've become. _How long was I even out?_ I wonder as I take a big, juicy berry.

It's round, very hard, and blue as the cloudless sky. I take a bite, and notice the many different flavors in it. It's pretty dry, kind of spicy, very sour and bitter, but not at all sweet. Surprisingly, I find myself enjoying it, and before I know it, I've eaten nearly half the bush! I go to grab another berry, but hear a slight rustling in the bushes, and instantly realize that I'm not alone here. Wherever _here_ is, anyway.

"Who's there?" I ask, noticing that my voice has finally come back. _Seriously, just how long was I out?_ No answer. I hear another noise, this time much closer than before. "I said who's there? Come on out, you coward!"

I hear a slight hiss, like I've just agitated whatever's in those bushes. And then it lashes out at me, whatever _it_ is. I jump out of the way, luckily, giving me enough time to at least see what I'm up against. It looks kind of like a tiny purple rat, with beady red eyes staring straight at me in disgust.

"This is my territory!" it screeches, letting me know I'm definitely not welcome here under any circumstances.

I raise an eyebrow at it, wondering what it's actually capable of if it thinks it can beat something three to four times its size. I lift my hands in surrender, not wanting to cause any more trouble than I have to, and slowly back away. "Okay, gotcha little guy."

"Who are you calling 'little'? I may be little, but my Bite is worse than my bark!" the rat exclaims, angered by what I've said.

"Look, can't we, uh, talk this out? I don't even know _what_ you are. How was I supposed to know you didn't want me to call you little? Geez, sorry there." I bite my tongue, realizing I'm about to call him that again.

The purple rat thinks it over for a moment, and finally answers, "Okay, I believe you. But it'd better not happen again, you got it? I'm a Rattata, though. What kind of Pokémon are you?"

_Pokémon? _I wonder quietly. _What's a Pokémon?_ The Rattata sees my confusion and sighs. "You're definitely not from around here. Follow me."

_Thanks for stating the obvious. _I half-heartedly follow Rattata, not having a clue about where he'll take me. We keep walking, and I soon approach this village, uh, town? The sign says "Kaishi Town, home to the Midori region's very own Professor Rosethorn." Well, guess I know kind of where I'm at now…

I look over at Rattata, who's apparently more focused on the building in front of us than bothering to tell me where we're going. I sigh loudly to try catching the rat's attention, but that only seems to annoy the tiny animal. Er, Pokémon? I think it called itself that…whatever _that_ is.

"Can I at least know where we're going, Rattata?" I ask impatiently, looking around from building to building as I continue to follow the tiny purple rat.

"No. Just follow me," he answers back just as crossly, perhaps even more.

"Fine, if you insist," I mumble, knowing I really don't have any other choices. Unless I just decide to make a run for it. But that wouldn't help me very much at all. I still wouldn't have any way home. We walk on, until we approach an enormous building, possibly the biggest in the entire town.

The sign reads "Professor Rosethorn's Pokémon Lab." As we make our way inside and go in through the door on the right, I immediately notice another Pokémon here. At least, I think it's a Pokémon. It looks more like a plant to me, though. It stands on two feet and has white hair with bouquets of roses for hands, one red, one blue.

It's about as tall as me, and by the looks of it, it's not too pleased to see us. "What is it this time, Rattata?" she yells, exasperated at the drifting Pokémon. "I thought we discussed this the _last _time you brought a trespasser. We can't help it that some of the Pokémon wander around and get lost!"

"It's not that this time, Flora! Here, take him. Maybe you can identify what Pokémon _this_ one happens to be," he answers her, pointing his tail at me. "If he even is one," he mumbles as he walks away.

_Well, so much for that,_ I think as I cross over to the Pokémon he called Flora. "So, you're a 'Flora'?" I ask her, still wondering what exactly a Pokémon even is.

"No, you idiot!" she exclaims, smacking me with the blue bouquet. "I'm a Roserade! Seriously, _what_ kind of a Pokémon asks that question, anyhow?"

"I don't _know, _what exactly _is_ a Pokémon? That might clear up about half of the mess I'm in!" I shout back, ready to smack her as well, but knowing it won't help the situation any.

"You mean you've never heard of a _Pokémon_ before? You must be insane! How else could you understand me like this?"

"How am I supposed to know? Tails is the one who got me here! I didn't intend to end up on some foreign planet full of 'Pokémon,' I was just trying to see an old friend…" I trail off, noticing that she's wide-eyed with surprise, along with quite a bit of confusion. I think I've shocked her to silence.

_Hm, guess it really is a crazy story, now that I think about it. _I wait for Roserade, or Flora, or whatever I'm supposed to call her, to answer, but she seems frozen in time, completely still and quiet, almost like a statue. After giving her a few minutes to process the situation, she finally begins to talk again, this time in a slightly more calm tone.

"Rosethorn always said I'd go crazy if I kept being so mean; guess it finally happened. Might as well live through it. What's your name then, if you're not a Pokémon?" she asks, apparently feeling delusional from the sight of me.

_Great, I've already made one creature on this planet question their sanity. I've seriously got to think of a better way to put that story… _I decide to answer anyway, realizing this is so far the farthest I've gotten through around here anyways."Ah, the name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

Now that I'm thinking, I realize how long it's been since I've had a good run. I hate it when things are so slow like this, but running would only cause more trouble than it's really worth. For one, this Roserade would never be able to help me (or catch me), and I'd probably end up stuck here forever. At least there's no water. _Yet_, anyway.

Chris's planet was _covered_ in that stuff. It doesn't look so bad here though. "Why do they call you 'Sonic'? And a hedgehog? Hm, there's a Pokémon called Shaymin classified as one of those. It's a Grass-type, under normal circumstances."

_Don't tell me they're going to try to 'classify' me as a Pokémon,_ I wonder as I notice actual _people_ enter the lab. _Finally, real, living, breathing, people! Maybe they could help…_ I walk over to them cautiously, knowing one wrong move could freak them out to the extreme. The tallest one, a brunette in a lab coat and a knee-length forest green skirt, notices me first.

Her deep green eyes scan over me, and I can immediately tell she's the Professor Rosethorn the two Pokémon kept mentioning. She looks around thirty years old. The other two, a boy and a girl, just stand there, staring at me in amazement. They both look like teenagers, about sixteen or so. "It sure doesn't look like any Pokémon I've ever seen, Misty," the raven-haired boy says, shoving his hands in his pockets. He refuses to take his big brown eyes off me, like I'll disappear as soon as he turns away.

_Chris?_ I find myself wondering. He looks _so_ much like him, aside from his hair being black instead of auburn. Plus, his eyes, they're much darker, more like an amber color than the big blue eyes I remember Chris having. Still, why does this kid look so much like him?

"It's because he isn't a Pokémon," Professor Rosethorn confirms, making the boy raise an eyebrow at her. A little yellow rat is perched on his left shoulder, also looking curiously toward me. That must be another Pokémon.

"Then what is he, Professor?" The girl, apparently named Misty, asks her. She's slightly taller than the boy, with sea foam green eyes and fiery orange hair.

"Well, I really don't know, Misty. Why don't one of you ask him?"

"Uh…" she trails off, not seeming very eager to talk to me. _Is she really that scared of me?_ "Why don't you do it, Ash? You're the one going on your newest journey. Or are you scared?" she asks, sticking her tongue out like I do sometimes whenever I'm taunting Eggman.

_I hope they can take care of Mobius without me_, I think, remembering Eggman's latest plot to rule the world.

"I'm not scared at all! You wait and see!" the boy named Ash snaps as he turns to face me. He crosses over, with the yellow Pokémon still sitting on his shoulder, and stoops down beside me. "Hey, I'm Ash. What's your name?"

"You can't answer him, you know. People don't understand us Pokémon," Flora says, walking over to me.

"I already told you I'm not a Pokémon, Flora! And the name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," I answer, shaking Ash's hand. Professor looks at me, a perplexed expression on her face.

"You mean you can understand her?" she asks, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

"Yeah, and that Rattata that brought me here," I reply, glancing over at the Pokémon Professor. "Now, since Flora couldn't seem to tell me the first time I asked, just _what_ is a Pokémon?"

"You're telling me you've _never_ heard of a Pokémon?" the professor wonders, startled by my question.

"Well, I kind of wouldn't be asking if I had, so nope, nope I haven't, though your Roserade sure keeps trying to convince me I'm one of them. Rattata did too."

"Well, a Pokémon is a creature that lives here, in the Pokémon World, alongside, and usually helping, us humans. They protect us, help us, teach us, and in many circumstances become some of our best friends," she answers, smiling.

"Sooo basically like an animal in my home world? Or Chris's even?"

"Well, I would think…" she says, putting a hand to her chin and looking up at the ceiling.

"Wait, did you just say your 'home world'?" asks Ash, looking at me with squinted eyes.

"Yeah, uh, long story. See, I'm not exactly from here… My friend Tails, he's an inventor, and he built this teleporter to try to see our friend Chris again, who lives on this planet called Earth. But apparently he didn't realize that I could end up here," I explain, scratching the back of my head as I glance over them all.

Ash and Misty just look at me in disbelief. The professor, however, nods in acceptance. "Hm, yes, seems like the portal to our world was just a bit closer than Station Square's."

I raise an eye at her. _How does she know where Chris lives?_ _I never mentioned his city._ "Uh, yeah, I guess," I remark. "But how did you know that Chris lives in Station Square?"

"Oh," she sighs, realizing what she's just said. "I, uh, I used to know him. How's he been?" I scratch my head in confusion, wondering how she could possibly know Chris.

"He's fine, I guess. Haven't seen him in about six months. Well, a six months to us anyway, which is about six years in their time. How did you know him?"

"Well, I'm his older cousin. I always helped with Grandpa Chuck's inventions, blueprints and all, after you guys left. He made a teleporter about six years back, I'm guessing similar to the one your friend made. I stepped through by accident and ended up here. Since then I've devoted my time and research to studying the Pokémon of this world."

I gulped. "So you mean you never found a way home?"

"Well, not that I _couldn't _find a way back. I didn't really _want_ to. I felt like I belonged here, somehow. Don't you worry Sonic. We'll find a way to get you home. Did anyone else come with you?"

_Amy. Rats, I'd completely forgotten about her. She's going to kill me. Dead._

"Well, I think Amy jumped in after me when I left. I want to say she's here, but I just don't know. She's about as tall as me, but she's a pink hedgehog instead. She wears a red dress with a white hem, and always carries her hammer around. Trust me, don't _ever_ get on her bad side with that thing," I warn them, describing her the best I can, hoping they might've seen her.

"Hm, I can't say I remember seeing her," Misty says, speaking to me for the first time.

"We'll help you find her though, right, Pikachu?" The yellow rat nods, so I assume that Pikachu is its name.

"Yeah, we'll help Sonic!" he exclaims, looking at me happily.

"Professor, do you have any idea where she could've ended up at?" I ask, slightly worried that she's in trouble somewhere out there on her own.

"Is she your _girlfriend?_" Misty asks curiously.

"She definitely thinks she is," I mumble, not sure if she hears me or not.

"Oh" is all she has to say to that.

"Well, Sonic, there just aren't many places she could've ended up. I personally monitor the portals' locations, along with Jade, Flora, and Banana's help."

"So you knew that I came through the portal outside town?" She nods, crossing over to her computer.

"Well, I knew some_thing_ had come out some_where_. It only lets me know that one of the portals were active."

"Then you'd know if Amy came out, right?" She nods again, entering in something on the computer.

"Come here Sonic, to get a closer look." I walk over there, followed by Ash and Misty, and notice the screen has a picture of a region on it. The Midori region, I'm guessing. There are three little red dots on the screen, scattered across the region and it's islands. "You see those red dots?"

I nod. "Good, those are the portal's possible appearances. The closest would be right here," she says, pointing to one in a place labeled Sakura Forest. "I suggest there first, since it's closest. If she isn't there, she might be here," she adds, pointing to a place called Mizu Park. "She's pretty safe either way, I believe. If she's in neither place, then I really don't know how to tell you this Sonic, but she just might not be here at all."

My eyes widen in disbelief. No, she has to be here, she just has to. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to find her and get us back home.


	3. Sonic, Where Are You?

A/N: Decided to put this chapter in Amy's Point of View, if you haven't already guessed by the title! And watch out for the Zorua! *winks* Who knows what he'll do next?

Chapter 3: Sonic, Where Are You?

"Sonic! Sonic, where did you go? Ugh, I can't believe him! Running off like that!" I crouch down in the middle of the yellow trail, noticing not for the first time how much this looks like home. _I hope he's even here,_ I think, wondering if he ended up on Earth instead, since this certainly _isn't_ Station Square.

I walk further down the tree-lined pathway until I come up at a fork in the road. _Which way now?_ I look back and forth between the two, when I notice a little brown rabbit making its way across the left path. "Hey, you! Rabbit!" I call after it, thinking it might be able to help.

It glances over at me curiously, and then turns to dart for cover in the peony bushes. "Hey, wait up! Get back here!" I scream after it, jumping in behind it. I land on my knees, scrambling to get up and chasing after it once more. "I said get back here!"

I follow it until I reach a gigantic oak tree, a tree it scurries inside of in a desperate attempt of escape. I whistle loudly. "Look at the size of that thing, Sonic," I say, forgetting for a moment that he isn't here. With me, like he should be. I crawl inside, realizing immediately that I'm not alone.

There are about ten pairs of eyes in this room, all staring straight at me like I'm some sort of alien. Which I kind of am, on their planet. I sigh, frightening a few of the smaller animals. At least, I think they're animals. They sure aren't like any kind of animals I've seen lately.

"Who _are_ you?" a braver one asks, boring holes through me with his imposing red eyes. He's a few inches shorter than me, and looks awfully like a blue, two-legged dog.

"I'm Amy. Amy Rose the hedgehog," I answer, smiling brightly at the dog-like animal.

"I meant what kind of Pokémon," he answers, sighing in exasperation.

"Oh. Um, just one question: what's a Pokémon?" A bunch of the animals let out gasps of surprise or shock at my question, making me feel even more determined to get out of here. ASAP.

The dog raises an eye at me, unsure whether or not it should take me seriously. Finally, it answers, "You must not be from around here. Tell me, where are you from?"

"Well, I guess you could say I come from very far away," I reply, not very willing to reveal that I'm from a completely different planet. Now _that_ wouldn't be a very easy thing to explain. "A place where there aren't any Pokémon. Could you please answer my question now?"

The animal nods. "Of course. Pokémon are the creatures you'll find living around here. There are many different kinds, as you can plainly see," he explains, gesturing to the other animals, er, Pokémon. "I'm a Riolu."

"Oh, that makes more sense," I say, nodding. "What kind of Pokémon was the rabbit that I chased in here?"

"You mean Buneary?" he asks, pointing at the rabbit.

"Yeah, her. Sorry for scaring you there, Buneary. I was only looking for some help. I'm trying to find a friend of mine. Have any of you seen a blue hedgehog just a bit taller than me, by any chance?"

Most of them shake their heads no, but one Pokémon in particular starts to nod enthusiastically. A feathery eaglet, sitting right in between a little brown dog and a black fox, looks at me, eyes bright as tiny stars, and says, "Yeah, yeah, I saw him! He was near Kaishi Town when I was flying over it earlier today! He was arguing with a Rattata when I stopped to get a closer look."

"That's wonderful, uh…" I glance over at Riolu, wondering what the Pokémon's name is.

"Oh, the name's Rufflet," it answers, puffing out its chest.

"Well, thanks, Rufflet," I reply, smiling at him. "Now, could anyone tell me where Kaishi Town is?"

"We could, but it'd be much easier to show you," the small black fox states, staring at me with a little mischievous glint in its clear blue eyes.

"If you would that'd be great!" I exclaim, looking back at the fox. "You are?"

"Oh, I'm a Pokémon with many names. Including yours," it answers, transforming right before my very eyes into an exact replica of _me_.

My eyes widen in disbelief as the Pokémon laughs hysterically. "What! How'd you…?"

"Stop trying to scare the poor girl, Zorua. She already has enough to freak out about," a tiny yellow rat says as she pulls the Pokémon's tail, changing him back into his normal form.

"Aw, Pichu, you know I's just playing with the girl! Honestly, do you got to be so serious?" Zorua asks in scorn.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Pichu answers, looking like she's deep in thought. "Yes, yes I do." Zorua sticks his tongue out, making the little brown dog step on one of its toes.

"You guys, we _do_ have a visitor, in case you haven't noticed," it scolds the two Pokémon. "I'm Eevee, by the way."

"Ah, I see. Well, Riolu, could any of your friends be allowed to show me where Kaishi Town is? I really need to find it as soon as I can, if possible."

He sighs in disappointment. "Sadly, Rufflet and Zorua are the only two who know where Kaishi Town is, aside from me, and Rufflet needs to stay, I'm afraid." _Great, I'm stuck with the trickster,_ I think as Zorua winks at me. "Don't think I'd let you go all by yourself with the crafty little Pokémon. Three others may go as well. You can pick them, if you'd like," Riolu replies, grinning empathetically.

"Well, I would like it if Buneary could come along, since we didn't get off to such a good start." Buneary nods shyly, agreeing to go. "And Pichu, I like your attitude, so I hope you'll say yes to coming with us."

"Do I really have to go with _him?"_ she asks disdainfully, nodding her head toward Zorua in annoyance.

"Please?" I plead, hoping she chooses to come.

She thinks for a moment, and finally answers, "Fine. Just make sure Zorua doesn't do anything stupid."

"I can't promise that now, but I'll try. Hm, I'd really like it if you could go," I say, pointing to a little egg-shaped Pokémon.

"Oh, you mean Togepi?" Riolu asks curiously. "Why of course! Togepi needs the outside experience if he'll agree to it. Will you, Togepi?" The eggshell Pokémon nods happily, clapping its tiny hands in excitement.

"That settles it then! You guys ready to go?"

"Ummm…" Buneary trails off reluctantly.

"Time to eat!" a voice calls from deeper inside the tree.

"We got to have lunch first! Want some?" Pichu asks, gesturing for me to follow them farther inside.

"Uh," I say, realizing how long it's been since I've had any food. "Sure."

"Come on then! Or Munchlax will eat it all!" she exclaims, dragging me with her.

"Which one's Munchlax?" I ask, sitting down at their huge wooden table in between her and Zorua.

"FOOD!" I hear a Pokémon scream. I turn to find where the voice came from, and notice a stocky blue one walk in, swallowing an apple whole.

"_That's_ Munchlax," answers Pichu, glaring at the Pokémon like she's going to hoard away all the food for herself. _She probably could,_ I find myself thinking as they pass the bowls of fruits and berries around. She fills her extra-large plate until she's formed an enormous pyramid on it and immediately starts chomping away. More like she's _inhaling_ the food, by the looks of it.

"I see," I say, taking a shiny red apple from a grinning Zorua. _It doesn't look poisoned,_ I think, wondering just how far the trickster would go to scare me half to death. _He hasn't killed me off yet, so I suppose it's okay to eat._ I take a chance and take a bite.

"Not half bad, eh?" Zorua asks, still giving me that sly smirk of his. I shake my head. Surprisingly, it actually tastes pretty good.

"Definitely better than the ones from home," I answer truthfully, still wondering if he did anything to it.

"Ah. Tell me, where did you say you came from again?" he asks, either trying to annoy me or just attempting to make conversation. Probably the former.

"I came from…a place called Mobius."

"Oh, I see. Never heard of that place before. And you say there aren't any Pokémon there?" _Yeah, he's definitely trying to annoy me. He's also trying to make me tell everyone that I'm _literally_ not from here. I wonder why, though?_

"Nope, none that I know of."

"Just a bunch of walking, talking hedgehogs?" he questions once more, recalling that I mentioned a certain special blue hedgehog earlier.

"Well, not really. There's also a two-tailed fox. And a rabbit. And, well, a human. Plus a bunch of—"

"Hold on, there's only _one_ human there? How?"

"You never let me finish…" The truth is, I really don't _know_ how Eggman and his cronies ended up there. Guess that's just another mystery of the universe, right?

"So? Are you _sure_ there aren't any other humans?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty positive. I _have _lived there my whole life, you know." Except for the while we spent in Chris's world.

"Oh" is all he answers back. "Anyone else?"

"If you would let me finish, the human has a bunch of robots. And I'm sure there are a lot of other animals as well; those are just a few of my friends." He nods, and I just hope he's finished with his interrogation.

"You really aren't from here. You'd have to be from a completely different _world_ in order for all that to be true." _He's really beginning to get on my nerves._

"But you already knew all this, didn't you?" He slowly nods again, slightly impressed that I saw through his façade.

"Then why did you ask me all those questions?"

"I don't know. I was curious? Geez, take it easy there, hedgehog. I'm just a helpless little fox kid in _your_ world, after all." He chuckles, annoying me even further.

"In _my_ world maybe, but we're not in _my_ world, now are we? Watch it, Zorua. Nobody messes with Amy Rose and gets away with it," I threaten, raising an eye at him.

"Nope. We're not. But we _are_ in my world, and I could just as soon Bite you in the arm before you could so much as lift that hammer of yours that you're hiding," he answers back just as nastily.

_Wait, how does he know about my Piko Piko Hammer? I've kept it put away this whole time…?_ "How did you…?"

"Let's just say it takes a master of disguise to know one when they see it. Trust me, I won't tell anyone. _If _you promise me something," he states, still grinning at me mischievously.

"Fine, let's hear it," I sigh, knowing I'd do anything for this tricky Pokémon if he'd just help me find Sonic. What I really want to do is play a little bit of Bop-A-Zorua, but that's not going to help me find Sonic any sooner.

"Promise me you'll take me away from here. Forever." I raise my eyes expectantly, ready to hear an explanation for his wanting to leave. However, he just turns to face the rest of the Pokémon, acting like nothing at all has happened between us.

"But won't Riolu miss you? And what about all the other Pokémon?" No answer. _He's ignoring me on purpose,_ I realize unexpectedly. _Well then, I'll give him something to ignore._ I stomp his left paw with my right boot, making him yelp loudly.

"Oops," I say, feigning remorse. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. Just _fine,_" he replies through gritted teeth.

Seeing as how I'll probably never get anything else out of him, I finally whisper, "Okay, I'll do it."

"Great, I just _knew_ you'd see it my way." _Creepy much? Oh well, he's taking me to Sonic. Guess I can't complain too much._ Luckily, it looks like no one's heard us, except maybe Pichu, who looks ready to zap the daylights out of Zorua.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure he behaves himself," she murmurs in my ear, her pink cheeks sparkling with unused electricity.

"Er, thanks," I answer, unsure of what else I could say to something like_ that_.

"No problem. Ready to go? I think everyone else has finished their food, except maybe Zorua, who can't shut up long enough to take a single bite. But he'll be fine; he can go hungry if he wants, for all I care." _Gosh, with a friend like this, who needs enemies? Almost makes me feel sorry for the little guy. Almost._

"Sure," I finally reply. "We should get going, before it gets too late." She smiles happily, grabbing me by the arm once again as she walks out of the room.

"Come on, Zorua! Don't make me have to drag you too! Bye, you guys! We'll be back soon, hopefully!"

"Yeah, 'bye, everybody!" Buneary exclaims, following behind us with Togepi by the hand.

"Buh-bye!" Togepi shouts over and over, laughing joyfully as he drags Buneary excitedly.

"Yep, see you chumps—I mean, see you guys later!" Zorua says, running past me out the door. The Pokémon wave farewell, all smiling as they watch their friends leave to help me. "Who's having trouble keeping up now, Pichu? Get a move on!" he screams behind him, irritating Pichu even more.

She jerks me as she makes a mad dash for him, and I can already tell this adventure's going to be _awfull__y_ interesting, at the very least. _Hold on, Sonic! I'll find you yet! Or my name's not Amy Rose!_


	4. ShowOff Sonic

Chapter 4: Show-Off Sonic

"And you're _positive_ you'll have us a way back home by the time we come back?" I ask, looking up at the professor expectantly.

"Yes, Sonic, I promise," she replies, laughing lightly. "We may not have Chaos Emeralds around here, but our technology is quite advanced. You should be home in seven, eight days tops."

"Great," I sigh, knowing Tails is going to worry himself to death over this. Too bad I don't have that headset, or I'd ask her to fix it before we go. "Well, see you later Professor!"

"You too, Sonic! Be careful, you three. Team Infinity's been strangely active the past few months around here. Just don't get into any situations you know you can't handle."

"Well, I always told Knuckles I don't get into fights I can't win, so that should be pretty easy," I answer, crossing my arms behind my head as I walk away.

"We will, Professor. Right, Ash?" Misty asks, elbowing her absent-minded friend in the side.

"Yow, Mist! I mean, uh, yeah, we'll be careful," Ash says, scratching his head and waving goodbye. "Geez, did you have to hit me so hard? What did I do to deserve that?"

"I don't know. You weren't paying attention, for one." I roll my eyes. We haven't even been walking for a minute, and they're already at it.

"_Sorry_ for zoning out on you guys. Not like I missed very much." Misty huffs, clearly annoyed at his reckless remark.

"I swear, Ash Ketchum, sometimes I just don't know…"

"Don't know what? You're the one who decided to come with me again, you know."

"I know that! It's not like you had anyone else to travel with."

"I'm sixteen now, I think I can handle it by myself, thank you. I don't need watched after anymore like I used to," he mumbles, staring wistfully up at the sky.

Misty sighs. "I know you don't. I just thought you'd enjoy the company. Plus, it _has_ been six years. Can't we just try to get along? Just this once?"

Ash thinks about it a minute. "Don't see why not. And yeah, it _has_ been quite a while, hasn't it?" Misty nods, looking over at Ash affectionately.

"And you're sure you guys aren't together?" I ask, noticing once again the liking they've taken to each other. Ash doesn't even seem to notice my question.

"Uh, yeah, we're sure," Misty answers, blushing slightly. "Why?"

"Just wondering," I answer, clicking my tongue in amusement. "Now, mind telling me what this journey is all about, anyway?"

"Well, Ash is here to travel through the Midori Region, catching Pokémon, battling trainers, and collecting the seven gym badges needed in order to enter the Midori League, held every year in Millennium City. Trainers come from all over to participate in it, and the winner becomes Midori's newest champ."

"And Ash is hoping to do that? Why didn't you try it?"

"Yeah, he is. And well, I jus—"

"She has a gym back home to take care of. Plus she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against yours truly," Ash answers, winking at Misty in laughter. "Love ya, Mist."

"Mhmm, we'll see about that one," she sighs, flicking Ash in the nose like he's a dog. Or whatever the Pokémon equivalent is around here.

"Geez, Misty, do you got to be so harsh? I was just playing."

"I know, so was I," she replies, smirking at him teasingly.

"Sure you were. And I'm a Pikachu."

"Well, you were, once. Don't tell me you've forgotten about _that_ already." I raise an eye at Ash, very confused about what she's said.

"Oh, this girl named Lily turned me into a Pikachu by accident one day, Sonic. And Misty, you can bet I haven't forgotten about that!" Pikachu sighs noisily, making me realize that I'd nearly forgotten about the little yellow rat.

I glance over at him, and he seems to be staring at something up ahead. Curious, I look that way, and notice a guy about Ash's age coming down the road, heading straight for _us_. "Well, Pikachu, up for your very first battle here?" Pikachu nods excitedly, glaring at the guy coolly.

He's nearly as tall as Ash, with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He strolls over to us, glowering down at me in particular and says, "Some Pokémon you got there, eh?" I sigh. Here we go again.

"Oh, he isn't a Poké—"

"The name's Alec. Hm, the Pokédex doesn't have any info on him. Not so much as a picture. What's his name?" the guy interrupts, glancing at Ash nosily.

"If you'll just listen—"

"Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," I state, hoping to catch his attention.

"Whoa, he can talk too! Look, want to battle? Your Sonic versus my Eevee. How 'bout it?"

"Uh, but, Alec—"

"Sure, sounds fun," I remark, smirking at Ash, who looks about ready to murder me. _This should be a piece of cake._

"Great, right here, right now. Battle's over when one side's Pokémon is knocked out. Ready?" Ash nods steadily, still eyeing me warily. _Man, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under by now!_

"Don't worry, Ash. I do stuff like this for a living," I whisper in his ear, hoping to set him at ease just a bit. _Also, I'm kind of wanting to show off,_ I add silently, walking over to my place on the field.

"You sure about that?" he asks, not fully believing what I'm capable of.

I wave him off and look at Alec, saying, "Ready when you are."

"Okay then, go, Eevee!" he screams, launching a red and white ball into the air. Out pops a little brown dog, presumably the Eevee he's been talking about. It grunts, ready to get this over with.

"Sonic, do whatever you do, I guess," Ash sighs, already feeling like defeat is just a few moves away.

"Don't underestimate me just yet, my friend. You haven't seen anything."

"Eevee, Tackle!" The Pokémon rushes over toward me, ready to hit me head-on.

"Fast, but not quite fast enough!" I exclaim, stepping out of the way and stopping behind him seconds before Eevee can even reach me. I then jump and do my signature Homing Attack, hitting Eevee square on the head. He moans as he hits the ground, hurt but not giving in quite yet.

Ash looks at me in wonder, surprised that I actually seem to know what I'm doing. "Told you I do stuff like this all the time," I answer, facing him and shrugging my shoulders.

"Here's your chance, Eevee, Quick Attack!" Thinking this attack will be just as slow, I take my time. Then I hit the ground face-first.

"Mmph." I stand up, looking at the brave little Pokémon. _Wow, this kid's faster than I gave him credit for. Still not as fast as me though. _I then launch my Spin Attack, sending the poor Pokémon flying.

"Eevee, no!" He hits a tree, landing on the ground with a loud _thud!_ Scrambling to get up, the tuckered out Pokémon refuses to lose to me. _And I thought I was stubborn._ "Eevee, Swagger!"

The Pokémon taunts me, confusing me for some reason. _What's going on?_ I think as my body mechanically runs around in circles. Before long, I've dug a tiny trench, but still can't seem to control myself.

"Snap out of it, Sonic!" Ash calls in a desperate attempt to bring me back to reality.

"Bite, Eevee!" _Oh not you don't! _I prepare to dodge, but for some reason I can't budge. Eevee does as it's told, fiercely sinking his teeth into my right leg.

"Ngh," I groan as I attempt to shake the Pokémon off. My body decides to respond this time, so I quickly peel the little dog off and launch my next attack. I use my Bounce Attack, hitting the Eevee full force and finally knocking him out.

"Alec is out of usable Pokémon. Ash wins the battle!" Misty declares, clapping enthusiastically.

"Return, Eevee, my friend. You did well," Alec says, crossing over to us. "I must say, that was some battle. Never seen anything like it in my entire life! Are you sure you're even a Pokémon?" he asks, looking directly at me.

"Well, that's kind of what we were trying to tell you. See, he isn't really a Pokémon," Ash answers sheepishly, making me wonder what Alec's reaction will be. He looks at Ash in confusion, and then glances at me in recognition.

"Ah, I see. Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Uh—"

"Because you didn't give Ash a chance. You kept interrupting him, you know. I just decided I ought to teach you a lesson," I state, walking over to join the conversation.

"Oh. Sorry 'bout that. Lesson learned," he replies, laughing. "Still, a good battle overall. Maybe we'll meet again soon. Hopefully next time I'll actually be battling one of your Pokémon though."

"Yeah, you can bet on that."

"Well, I'm afraid I must be off. Nice meeting you guys!"

"You too, Alec!" Misty exclaims, waving at him as he walks away.

"Yeah, you too," Ash says, also waving. Then he turns to me. _Uh-oh_. "What in the world were you thinking? You've never even seen a battle before, let alone been a part of one!"

"Sure I have. Though most of my battles were fought against Eggman's robots or gigantic 'ultimate life forms,' and they were mainly life-or-death situations," I answer, recalling some of the things I've battled over the past year.

"Still, you have no clue what a Pokémon battle is! Bet you've never dealt with confusion like that Eevee gave you with his move, have you?" I have to admit, he has me there.

"No, but I can take care of myself just fine. Geez, lighten up. Either way, it's not like it mattered to you whether I won or lost. I'm _still_ not a Pokémon, and it _still_ wouldn't count, whatever the outcome would've turned out to be." I sigh and shrug my shoulders. "Besides, the only way to learn is to do it yourself, am I right?"

Misty turns to Ash, raising an eyebrow at him. "He's right, you know. I don't know about you, but I remember a time when you had no idea what you were doing either. Besides, it's not like that guy gave him much of a choice anyhow. You know that." Ash lets out a sigh of defeat.

"I guess you're right. Sorry, Sonic. I guess I overreacted."

"Hmph, that's nothing new," Misty laughs, clapping Ash on the back. "We'd better get going, before it gets too late. Who knows what could happen to his friend if we don't hurry?" I laugh nervously at her words.

"Somehow, I really don't think you have any reason to worry about Amy. She always manages to find me, one way or another. Kind of like she has this built-in 'Sonic Radar.'" I chuckle, remembering what Tails once called it. Ash just looks ahead blankly, not even hearing a word I say.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's get going!" he exclaims, grabbing Misty by the arm and making a run for it.

"Seriously? _That's_ your idea of fast? That's nothing. Come on," I say, catching up to them and grabbing Misty by the hand. "Grab on, Ash, and hold on Pikachu! They don't call me Sonic for nothing!" I take his free hand and start to run, faster than I've run in quite a while.

"Sonic, I don't think I can keep up much longer," Misty states, already feeling a bit worn down.

"Nonsense! You can do it, Misty! Just close your eyes, forget about everything else around you, and _run."_

"I-I'll try," she answers hesitantly, shutting her eyes.

"You too, Ash! Give it a try!" At first, I feel his feet starting to slip out from under him. "Ash!" He shuts his eyes, focusing on nothing but his feet, and soon gets swept away in the moment of being one of the fastest beings this world has ever seen.

_Just a bit longer, Amy. Just a bit longer._


End file.
